Realtors: Here's how to pass the new FAA drone test

Next-level real estate sales

Good news: At the end of June, the Federal Aviation Administration finalized the rules on drone usage for real estate agents, along with photographers, construction workers, farmers and anyone else looking to turn drones into their full-time careers.

Bad news: Now you have to take a test.

As the National Association of Realtors recently stated when the news on drones first came out, “This bird’s eye view can provide the client with a much better idea of the neighborhood surrounding a property and physical characteristics of the property itself. To coin a phrase, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’”

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But in order to get to that level, users must first take the FAA’s 60-question multiple-choice test that’s filled with questions about latitudes and longitudes, Class C airspace regulations, wing load factors and more, an article in Wired by Aarian Marshall stated.

The Wired piece lays out how to ace the new test and become a pro drone pilot.

From the piece:

The test covers heavy duty aeronautical know-how, with topics like aviation weather sources and evaluation, maintenance and pre-flight inspections, drone performance, and official radio communication procedures, since pilots will occasionally have to call into air traffic control towers, just like the sky-plying brethren.

And as far as where to get studying material, the articled cited one person’s choices, which included a mix of FAA handbooks and test prep materials prepared by informed enthusiasts, along with online test courses and Facebook groups, where test takes pass around study tricks and root each other one.

Don’t forget about the fine print. According to the article, the certification lasts just 24 months before you have to retake the test—which might look different by then.

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Brena Swanson is formerly the Digital Reporter for HousingWire. Brena joined the HousingWire news team in February 2013, also serving in the roles of Reporter and Content Specialist. Brena graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.